Town council turned briefly to language policy at a recent meeting. This followed a complaint regarding a menu presented in Dutch, but also with separate French and English versions. The issue sparked a discussion on maintaining the town’s Dutch-speaking identity while embracing multilingualism.
TERVUREN – “We have actively worked to strengthen the use of Dutch in our municipality, promoting it in shops, public services, schools, and beyond,” said Annemie Spaas, alderwoman for Flemish policy (Flemish nationalists, N-VA). “Tervuren is, and will remain, a Dutch-speaking municipality, with respect for its Flemish identity,” Spaas told the town council.
Flemish Catholic alderman Jan Trappeniers (CD&V, Voor Tervuren) emphasized that while businesses are free to use other languages, Dutch must be clearly recognized as the primary language. “We proactively inform all shopkeepers that they may use multiple languages, but it must be evident that Dutch comes first — both in publications and when addressing customers,” said Trappeniers.
Solved with a smile
Flemish liberal mayor Thomas Geyns (OpenVLD, Voor Tervuren) dismissed claims that the town’s language policy was overly restrictive. “And it is certainly not unconstitutional, nor is the request to embrace Dutch as the main language.” Geyns noted that the issue had been resolved amicably: “As I understand it, the businessperson has now adjusted his advertising — with a smile, even.”
Opposition Flemish labor councilor Tiemen Verstappen (Groen+Vooruit) expressed concern over the ongoing “communal bickering” triggered by a question from a French-speaking councilor. “We should focus on fostering a shared community in Tervuren, rather than having two separate ones,” he said. “And in a Flemish municipality, it seems logical that Dutch should be the common, unifying language.”
Lost in translation
The controversy might stem from misunderstandings about language use in different contexts. Properties owned by the town, particularly around Tervuren’s prestigious market square, may enforce stricter Dutch language rules in contracts with café or restaurant operators. These rules are regularly approved by Tervuren’s parties including N-VA, Voor Tervuren (OpenVLD and CD&V), and Groen+Vooruit with only Tervuren Unie (now Tervuren Unie+Volt) voting against or abstaining. For town event rooms, exceptions may be made for non-Dutch speakers, but only if they are considered to be “positively” committed to integration into the Flemish community.
Managing language use with pragmatism while promoting Dutch as the primary language presents ongoing challenges for Tervuren. Located just 12 km from Brussels’ EU institutions, the town is a magnet for outsiders. Additionally, some 44% of its 23,000 residents are now non-Belgians, up from 29% at the century’s start. French speakers, too, form a significant portion of the population, possibly up to 20%.
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